Essberger Orders Four Ice-class Chemical Tankers from China Merchants
The John T. Essberger Group said it has signed final agreements with China Merchants Jinling Shipyard Dingheng Co. Ltd to build four 6,600 DWT stainless steel parcel chemical tankers with options for an additional four vessels.
The IMO Type II chemical tankers will be Finnish/Swedish 1A ice class certified with dual-fuel liquefied natural gas (LNG) propulsion and the ability of using shore power connection during cargo operations. According to Essberger, the ships' optimized hull design and equipment will lead to at least 30% improved energy efficiency.
“With this significant investment in the future, our owners have shown their commitment and determination to deliver on their promise to offer our valued customers a long-term high quality service with a greener footprint at competitive conditions,” said Jan Eghoej, MD John T. Essberger.
The vessels are expected to be delivered from mid-2023 and will be operated by Essberger and Stolt Tankers joint venture E&S Tankers.
The Essberger fleet currently consists of 34 parcel chemical tankers operating in Northwest Europe and the Mediterranean seas, all under E&S Tankers activity, as well as four containerships.
The newbuilding project is being subsidized by the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure as part of the implementation of the German government's Mobility and Fuel Strategy (MKS) with a total of €1.58 million ($1.93 million) per vessel. The funding measure is coordinated by NOW GmbH.